What I've always found odd about this is slot machines that are awful typically return 90+% to the players. In this case, we have the opposite.

A 90% RTP will typically (typically - lots of exceptions and caveats) be quite volatile - offering big wins but long losing streaks. Exactly the kinds of game behavior designed to extract long playing times and really peak the dopamine response.

The casino will be accounting/forecasting a 5% take across stakes made as it's super complicated with jackpot contributions/payouts and stuff.

These machines are there to be always accessible and to train the human in just the right way so as to get you addicted.

I don't know what slots you play but the ones I've been at you can play the game at any speed you want. A single tap of the button places the bet and plays the animations, etc. A double tap does that and skips the animations, immediately showing your winnings. If that isn't enough there is usually an option to increase your bet by a multiplier or to make multiple plays on one "spin". The play speed is effectively up to that player.

I used to work with a guy who had a long stint at IGT. He said the most popular game he ever "made" was to take his previously most popular game and just have one set of controls play 4 of the same game all at the same time on one screen.

I don't play slots, but I did manage an online casino for 3 years. Auto-spins allow users to play without "interaction" but, at least for my players, the animations and chirps were all part of the "fun".

All go towards the same thing - dopamine addiction as an activity.

I think I just wanted to say that the perception of a 90% "success rate" v's all or nothing with sports betting felt like a troublesome comparison, for me at least. These games arent safer or fairer at all - they are both doing the same thing - in different doses to different audiences.

Many of my slots players didn't consider what they did "gambling" at all.

That 90+% has nothing to do with the 97% in the other comment. Betting platforms also return 90+% to players.

Wouldn't that imply that 3% of players win huge on sports betting?

The 3% have either won a decent amount early and haven't averaged out yet, or they're a sharp who is carefully betting skillfully on winning bets. I don't think those people actually win too much since the platforms are always hunting to ban them. The missing money of 97% pretty much overwhelmingly ends up in the house's hands.

Even if sport bets or slot machines returned 99% that’s for one play. Play 50 times and the aggregate loss is 40%.

Slot machines typically keep 3% and returns the rest to the player. They do many things to keep people play to empty their deposit. Bonuses, wins on every spin (but amount is usually less than stake). Use internal coins to hide actual value etc

It's the arcade games that will really get you. At least they're more fun.

Most sports bettors arent trying to make money. A ticket to the game is $100+, is that money wasted too?

> Most sports bettors arent trying to make money.

This is totally disingenuous. Why else are gambling providers forced to include addiction recovery phone numbers with their ads?

> A ticket to the game is $100+, is that money wasted too?

No, and this is equally as insincere as your first statement. Gambling takes money without offering a fair return in goods or services.

> Why else are gambling providers forced to include addiction recovery phone numbers with their ads?

Some people are sick and cant control themselves.

> No, and this is equally as insincere as your first statement.

Neither comments were insincere.

> Gambling takes money without offering a fair return in goods or services.

It provides entertainment, same thing tickets to the event provide. A lot cheaper than seeing the game in person too.

> Some people are sick and cant control themselves.

If people being sick and not being to control themselves required an intervention phone number in general, we'd run out of 10-digit numbers faster than Elon lasted in the government :)

> It provides entertainment, same thing tickets to the event provide. A lot cheaper than seeing the game in person too.

This 100% is the reason most if not all of my friends put money on the games. Not sure why this is so hard for A LOT of people to understand, putting money on the games gives many people I know more of a rush than sky diving